Two maintenance workers in Nanjing survived a heart-pounding elevator descent, which occurred suddenly as they were making repairs to the elevator's cables. After the incident, doctors said chances of survival in such a circumstance are slim.

The two workers, surnamed Li and Huang, were replacing the wire cables of an elevator in an office building. Before they realized what was happening, the elevator suddenly plunged 33 floors. 

Fortunately, both men are reportedly recovering after timely treatment, though Huang's injuries are more severe than Li's. Doctors conducted a four-hour operation on Huang, who sustained a comminuted fracture.

Mao Guoqing, Huang's attending physician, said that workers naturally bend forward or even bow their bodies while repairing elevators, which protects them from severe injuries.

The cause of the accident still remains unknown. As for what saved the two men, it could have been the buffer device that helped to reduce impact as the elevator fell to the ground, guessed a co-worker of the injured men.